Management of universities in a period of rapid change: comparative case studies

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Performance management in the United States and France:four case studies in the retail and airline industries

The profusion of performance measurement models suggested by Management Accounting literature in the 1990’s is one illustration of the substantial changes in Management Accounting teaching materials since the publication of “Relevance Lost” in 1987. At the same time, in the general context of increasing competition and globalisation it is widely thought that national cultural differences are tending to disappear, meaning that management techniques used in large companies, including performance measurement and management instruments (PMS), tend to be the same, irrespective of the company nationality or location. North American management practice is traditionally described as a contractually based model, mainly focused on financial performance information and measures (FPMs), more shareholder-focused than French companies. Within France, literature historically defined performance as being broadly multidimensional, driven by the idea that there are no universal rules of management and that efficient management takes into account local culture and traditions. As opposed to their North American brethren, French companies are pressured more by the financial institutions that fund them rather than by capital markets. Therefore, they pay greater attention to the long-term because they are not subject to quarterly capital market objectives. Hence, management in France should rely more on long-term qualitative information, less financial, and more multidimensional data to assess performance than their North American counterparts. The objective of this research is to investigate whether large French and US companies’ practices have changed in the way the textbooks have changed with regards to performance measurement and management, or whether cultural differences are still driving differences in performance measurement and management between them. The research findings support the idea that large US and French companies share the same PMS features, influenced by ‘universal’ PM models.

An appraisal of adaptive management planning and implementation in ecological restoration: case studies from the San Francisco Bay Delta, USA

Adaptive management has been defined and redefined in the context of natural resource management, yet there are few examples of its successful application in ecological restoration. Although the 2009 Delta Reform Act now legally requires adaptive management for all restoration efforts in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, in California, USA, projects in this region still encounter problems with implementation. We used a comparative case study analysis to examine adaptive management planning and implementation both in and around the Delta, assessing not only why adaptive management is not yet well implemented, but also what changes can be made to facilitate the adaptive management approach without sacrificing scientific rigor. Adaptive management seems to be directly and indirectly affected by a variety of challenges and convoluted by ambiguity in both planning documents and practitioner’s interpretations of the concept. Addressing these challenges and ambiguities at the project level may facilitate the adaptive management process and help make it more accessible to practitioners.

Assessment of a Planned Municipal Solid Waste Management System in Sri Lanka

Systematic Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) authorities of Sri Lanka contributes to exchange some productive outputs with localities; however it is still not in a successful mode due to limitations and environmental failures in their operation. Most of these local administrations are directly dumping Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to an open dumping site, this manner of inappropriate disposal of MSW is become a major threat to the environment and public health in developing countries like Sri Lanka. This study was conducted for the MSWM practices of Balangoda Urban Council. The research was performed based on analyzing information obtained from field observations; reports; literature; questionnaire distribution among community; and a series of formal interviews with major stakeholders. The ongoing MSWM practices of Balangoda Urban Council encompass six categories as waste minimization and handling; waste collection; on-site separation; waste transportation; further management including grading, composting, recycling, producing sludge fertilizer; and final disposal to an open dump site. Apart from those, training sessions on MSWM are also being conducted. The purpose of this paper is to assess current status of urban waste management scenario and highlight strengths and weaknesses to understand the sustainability of the system which would help any local authority to improve MSWM.

Business Process Redesign in Information Technology Incident Management: A teaching case

This paper consists of a detailed case narrative on how a leading Australian Finance organisation has utilised contemporary Business Process Management (BPM) concepts for improving the IT incident management processes within the whole organisation. The target audience includes practitioners who are interested in BPM case studies and Academics who may be seeking case studies for innovative teaching practices.

Discourse practice gaps in work life balance : comparative case studies in the Australian construction industry

Perspectives on work-life balance (WLB) reflected in political, media and organisational discourse, would maintain that WLB is on the agenda because of broad social, economic and political factors (Fleetwood 2007). In contrast, critical scholarship which examines work-life balance (WLB) and its associated practices maintains that workplace flexibility is more than a quasi-functionalist response to contemporary problems faced by individuals, families or organisations. For example, the literature identifies where flexible work arrangements have not lived up to expectations of a panacea for work-home conflicts, being characterised as much by employer-driven working conditions that disadvantage workers and constrain balance, as they are by employee friendly practices that enable it (Charlesworth 1997). Further, even where generous organisational work-life balance policies exist, under-utilisation is an issue (Schaefer et al, 2007). Compounding these issues is that many employees perceive their paid work as becoming more intense, pressured and demanding (Townsend et al 2003).

Benefits of e-learning benchmarks : Australian case studies

In 2004, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework developed a suite of quantitative and qualitative indicators on the uptake, use and impact of e-learning in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. These indicators were used to design items for a survey to gather quantitative data for benchmarking. A series of four surveys gathered data from VET providers, teachers, students and their employers. The data formed baseline indicators that were used to establish organisational goals and benchmarks for e-learning. These indicators were the first know set for benchmarking e-learning in Australia. The case studies in this paper illustrate ways in which VET providers have approached e-learning benchmarking, the benefits achieved and the lessons that they learned. The cases exemplify how VET providers have adapted the baseline indicators, how the indicators informed organisational plans and e-learning outcomes. The benefits of benchmarking are categorised under three purposes: reporting, performance management, and service improvement. A set of practical strategies is derived from the cases for consideration by other organisations interested in benchmarking e-learning services.

Enhancing Student Learning in Large Undergraduate Clasees by Using Audio-visual Case Studies

Critical skills such as identifying and appreciating issues that confront firms engaging in international business, and the ability to undertake creative decision-making, are considered fundamental to the study of International Business. It has been argued that using audio-visual case studies can help develop such skills. However, this is difficult due to a lack of Australian case studies. This paper reviews the literature outlining the advantages believed to result from the use of audio-visual case studies, describes a project implemented in a large cohort of students studying International Business, reports on a pilot evaluation of the project, and outlines the findings and conclusions of the survey.

Validating the IS-Impact model : two exploratory case studies in China and Malaysia

For over a decade, IT expenditure in China and Malaysia has shown a significant increase, as organisations in these countries are increasingly dependent on information systems (IS) for achieving strategic advantages and business benefits. However, there have been numerous reports of dissatisfaction with IS, and in some cases the effectiveness of the information systems have yet to be reviewed. Two exploratory case studies reported in this paper are the first phase of an overall research in validating the IS-Impact model introduced by Gable, Sedera and Chan in two countries: China and Malaysia. This validation research aims to produce a standard measuring model across different contexts. The purpose of this paper is to present preliminary findings from two exploratory case studies, attempt to test the feasibility of the research design and to investigate applicability of the IS-Impact model in Chinese and Malaysian organisations. Twenty-nine respondents from a Chinese private company and seventeen respondents from a state government in Malaysia were involved in these studies. Findings indicated that most of existing IS-Impact measures are applicable in the study contexts, however, there are some new measures informed by the respondents. Feedback from the case studies also suggested necessary modifications to the Mandarin instrument.